Many packaging machines include several conveyors that underlie multiple lanes which direct cylindrical articles, such as bottles or cans, across conveyors in the process of grouping and packaging the articles. For example, articles are commonly brought into the packaging machine via an infeed conveyor that feeds the articles to a metering chain, which provides a timing function and buffers the relatively high infeed line pressure. Upon exiting the metering chain, which may in essence be a linear star wheel, the articles in a single lane tend to be somewhat staggered as they transition onto a grouping conveyor. One purpose of the grouping conveyor is to order the articles into a substantially single file, and so, it is desirable for the width of each lane to be only slightly greater the diameter of articles before the articles exit the grouping conveyor. The articles are thereby predictably arranged, for example, to facilitate separating the articles into groups on a pocket conveyer that awaits downstream and to prevent unnecessary wobbling or other variance in trajectory that increases the likelihood of damaging the articles.
Packaging machines generally do not have the flexibility to “changeover,” that is to be reconfigured between runs to group articles that vary in size or diameter. Given the size, cost, and complexity of these machines, this lack of versatility is expensive. Therefore, it is advantageous to design machines which are as adaptable as possible.
It is desirable for such a packaging machine to have the ability to process articles of different diameters. For example, it is desired that the packaging machine can accommodate a first run of articles having a first diameter and can be changed over to accommodate a second run of articles having a second diameter that differ from the first diameter.
To group and package articles of different diameters, previous packaging machine designs allow for the installation of a lane insert that is mounted to one of the walls of the lane. The lane insert narrows the width of at least a portion of the length of the lane to correspond to the desired article diameter plus an allowable tolerance. Thereby the narrow portion of the lane orders the articles in a single file line with predictable distances between the centers of the articles. This predictable arrangement prepares the articles for engagement by lugs on a metering conveyor. The lane inserts are removable and typically can be interchanged with lane inserts of a different thickness to adjust for articles of different diameters. However, interchanging lane inserts is a time consuming process and it is impractical to have a set of lane inserts corresponding to every possible diameter of article to be packaged.
Articles can also be damaged upon leaving the lanes. If the articles are not deposited on the next conveyor in an orderly fashion. Typically, the outfeed ends of the lanes have been aligned with an edge of the pocket conveyor such that each row of articles exiting the lanes is moved or pushed onto the pocket conveyor by an incoming row of articles, thereby defining a matrix like group of articles. Each additional incoming row of articles must push with increasing force to move the previously formed rows of the group. In this arrangement, articles of any diameter with even a minimal gap between rows and articles may damage one another when pushing each other onto the pocket conveyor. For example, adhesive labels or directly deposited graphics may be scuffed or otherwise damaged.
To address this shortcoming, certain other lane assemblies extend the outfeed ends of the lane assembly a fixed distance over the pocket conveyor such that the rows of articles do not push against one another when exiting the pocket conveyor. However, if such a lane assembly is utilized in a packaging machine that can be changed over to process articles of various diameters, the gap between rows of articles of a first diameter will differ from that of articles of a second diameter so there will not be a tight and orderly formation of grouped articles. It is desirable to minimize potential damage by controlling the spacing of articles as they exit the lanes onto the pocket conveyor.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for a lane assembly that is easily and selectively adjustable to vary the width of the lane according to the diameter of the article and to control the position of and gap between rows of articles exiting the lanes.